Compliance The Contemporary Role of Indonesia in ASEAN

882 Internaional Conference on Social Poliics of project in which area of Indonesia needs maritime infrastructure and have suficient economic potentials to be developed. Chinese government has not yet received any proposal with prospect and budget estimation from Indonesian government. China is ready to assist and endorse Chinese investors to participate in Indonesian maritime infrastructural projects, but there is no suficient information about the projects. In this perspective, China has actually been waiting for communication and coordination with Indonesian counterparts to assist infrastructure development projects that will deinitely converge with Chinese MSR initiative. If, or when, the implementation of maritime infrastructure development in Indonesia is operational and parallel with implementation in other countries and regions, integration in the Indo-Paciic region is achievable. The remaining problem for Indonesia is the state’s aspiration to maintain leadership in the region. Indonesia has been considered by many as the leader in the Southeast Asian region and the government meant to keep it that way. However, the question is, would it still possible under Chinese leadership in the Indo-Paciic economic integration, Indonesia become the leader in the region? What kind of power structure will be generated in the region under Chinese initiative and others’ responses? The answer lies on the nature of the geopolitical architecture and the nature of Chinese diplomacy. With power contest between US and China, and others careful responses to the two, Chinese leadership would be balanced by other states, including the US and Japan. The trend in the global politics is toward multipolar or non-polar power structure. 10 China has also been showing consistency in “peaceful rising” diplomacy, although showing also cautiousness by consistency in increasing defense budget. Indonesia’s role to balance between the two camps in the regional integration may provide 10 Rizal Sukma, statement in a Focused Group Discussion FGD conducted by National Planning and Development Agency Bappenas RI in October 2013. great opportunity for Indonesia for greater contribution in the regional balance of power.

E. CONCLUSION

If implemented succesfully, the MSR initiative would also mean deepening and widening regional economic integration to include Indo-Paciic region. This result is in line with both Indonesia and China’s regional policy. In the context of regional balance of power, problems arise from power contest between US and China. Here Indonesia can swiftly play between the two powers and take the most from the balancing or rebalancing acts, just like how it has been playing since Suharto’s leadership. However, if Indonesia seeks to actively contribute to shape the form of regional order in the midst of China-US contention, for whatever form, a constructive policy and active diplomacy are needed. REFERENCES Books and Articles 1. Yale, William, “China’s Maritime Silk Road Gamble”, The Diplomat , April 22, 2015. 2. Eyler, Brian, “China’s Maritim Silk Road is All About Africa”, retrieved from http: www.eastbysoutheast.comchinas- maritime-silk-road-africa, on June 23, 2015. 3. Ma, Debin, “The Great Silk Exchange: How the World was Connected and Developed”, in D. Flynn, L. Frost, and A.J.H. Latham eds., Paciic Centuries: Paciic and Paciic Rim Centuries in the 16th Century , London: Routledge, 1998. 4. Szczudlick-Tatar, Justyna, “China’s New Silk Road Diplomacy”, PISM Policy Paper No. 34 82, December 2013. 5. Gindarsah, Iis, and Adhi Priamarizki, “Indonesia’s Maritime Doctrine and Security Concerns”, RSIS Policy Report, April 9, 2015. 6. Kraska, James, Maritime Power and the Law of the Sea, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.